Writing

Passages

Aside ~ ~ lifeontheskinnybranches ~ 4 Comments

It had been fucking abrupt.

She’d come home to the apartment they shared to find he’d moved himself out while she was at work. At work, working at the restaurant – his restaurant.

It was a shock. Strange to feel the ghosts of his things. For half of the life of their home to be gone, just like that.

It almost felt like the floor tilted in places – like a strange funhouse – where only her stuff remained, as if the weight of her things had warped the balance of the room.

She walked around, numb, dazed, picking up an odd hanger or empty CD case, watching dust bunnies scatter as she passed through the rooms.

The only remaining evidence of his presence were two flat unused cardboard boxes, $1.87 in change, and a few crumpled receipts.

Later that night, after the shock had worn off and reality had set in, she used the cardboard boxes as a makeshift bed. (The thought of sleeping in their bedroom was unbearable. Plus, she’d drunk the better part of a bottle of Red Label and the distance seemed insurmountable in the moment.)

It would be a month, after she’d moved out herself, after she found a new place, after a friend loaned her a blow-up bed, until she slept off the floor again.

(There’s nowhere left to fall if you are already on the floor.)

Inspired by The Daily Post Daily Word Prompt: abrupt

Reliable Sources

Aside ~ ~ lifeontheskinnybranches ~ Leave a comment

“What?! No!” she desperately exclaimed just after two of the three bank tellers suddenly and without warning flourished “Next Teller, Please” signs and left to do Heaven-knows-what.

This, just after the debacle at Starbuck’s whereupon she stood waiting at the register for five agonizing moments -watching all six employees do whatever the hell they do other than deal with the customers (which is why she had banned going there years ago until in a moment of weakness she decided to give them one last try) – before raising her voice in an attempt to get service, which was a humiliating, abysmal failure.

Taking these events as signs she was just not meant to be in the world today, she scurried back to her apartment, back to safety and the surety of the attention of her cats, both of whom adored her unremittingly and vied to be in her presence 24/7.

Inspired by The Daily Post Daily Word Prompt: suddenly

Spring Break

Aside ~ ~ lifeontheskinnybranches ~ Leave a comment

“Yeah, typical,” she said to no one in particular, as she entered the last room of her day that needed cleaning to find it looking as if it had been ransacked by the CIA, fallen victim to yet another collegiate tsunami.

As she surveyed the wreckage, she knew that she’d never be done in time to make her class at the local community college.

“If only,” she said, shaking her head, as visions of somehow wreaking havoc on those who so thoughtlessly tore through her hometown every March ignited enough of an impetus to begin the work necessary to restore the room to occupancy.

Inspired by The Daily Post Word Prompt: typical

Responsibrellaty

Aside ~ ~ lifeontheskinnybranches ~ Leave a comment

“Allow me to offer my observations from my assay of the umbrella etiquette out here on the New York City Streets,” she said sardonically to no one in particular and everyone at once.

“None of you know how to navigate with this appendage. Work with me people!!”

And with that, she resolutely pressed her lips together and set back out into the treacherous sea of weaponry her fellow urban dwellers were unconsciously wielding, a lone champion amongst the heathens.

Inspired by The Daily Post Daily Word Prompt: assay

Mr. Right

Aside ~ ~ lifeontheskinnybranches ~ 3 Comments

“Oh no, I must insist you that you sit down and let me do it,” she said to no one in particular as she began to scrape the remnants of her Stouffer’s lasagna microwave dinner from its plastic container into the garbage can, shaking her head in playful admiration at the gallantry of the imaginary man who often joined her for dinner.

Inspired by The Daily Post Daily Word Prompt: insist

Coin Incidence

Aside ~ ~ lifeontheskinnybranches ~ 3 Comments

“I really sympathize with you,” she said to no one in particular, the sarcasm dripping almost as low as the unlit Virginia Slims that teeter-tottered off her crimson-painted lips, as she scooped up the three cents’ change meant as her tip from the couple who’d sat at one of her best window tables for the better part of the evening, drinking top shelf gin martinis, holding out until the owner had to flicker the lights to get them to rouse themselves.

She’d expected that they’d leave a decent tip for tying up her table, but alas, the man had mumbled something lame about having thought he’d had more cash on him before lamely leaving $40 for the $39.97 bill.

With a shake of her head, she threw the pennies into the penny cup by the register and went out back to light her cigarette and further contemplate mankind.

Inspired by The Daily Word Prompt: sympathize

Pumped

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“Allow me to offer my most profuse apologies…not!” Frank shouted after the big, black Buick as it pulled away from the station.

He began to chuckle at his own cleverness, eventually cracking himself up, riding its euphoric wave before degenerating into a coughing jag which felt like karmic payback.

And just like that, he clammed up again to his usual monosyllabic existence at the pump.

Inspired by The Daily Post Daily Word Prompt: profuse